Nightmares
by Traveling Trainer
Summary: A pair of Pokemon explorers both share a terrible nightmare of their past, and upon waking up, they comfort each other during the early hours of the morning. A Pokemon Mystery Dungeon-based oneshot.


I could practically taste the dry, gritty air as I slowly stepped my way across the jagged outcropping, Temporal Tower still rumbling faintly behind me, my footpaws rubbing uncomfortably against the rocks, and I glanced around at the ominous yellow skies. We'd done it... I turned my gaze away from the countless clouds to look at my partner instead, triumphantly leading the way with a spring in her step, all six of her curly red tails wagging up and down. An uneasy, dreamlike trance settled over me, making the whole world seem hazy, as if it could suddenly stop and go dark at any moment.

I couldn't help but frown, furrowing my brow thoughtfully when I tried to peer over my shoulder to steal a look at Dialga's domain, only to find it hidden from view behind the clouds, and I turned back towards the Vulpix walking ahead of me, lifting my legs to catch up to her. However, the moment one of my footpaws touched the ground again, a quick, painless numbness ran through my lower limbs; I grunted in surprise at their sudden heaviness, struggling to keep moving against my fading nerves. Shrugging my shoulders, feeling the treasure bag bump against my back, my two aura tassels rubbing against the hard leather, I dragged myself on the stones, only to stop and yelp when I almost lost my balance.

"Bill?" The fire type Pokemon perked up a short distance away, spinning on her heels to check on me, confusion rapidly filling her large, hazel eyes as she slowed her pace and paused. A faint breeze began to flow over the pathway leading to the Rainbow Stoneship, setting Rose's tuft of headfur and blue scarf aflutter – and drifting past my fur as if I wasn't even there. Nervous prickles welled up within me, turning to dread soon enough when my partner began to tear up. No... no... this wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening again-! "No... Bill!?"

"R-Rose-" I tried to call out to the little red fox, but only managed to let out a weak croak instead, the uncomfortable numbness winding its way up my body, reaching my hips and making my tail go limp against my legs. The other explorer shook her head, scrunching her eyes shut before making a mad dash towards me, her tiny claws scraping against the stones. Rose hopped up onto her hind legs and planted her front paws onto my shoulders once she finally closed the gap, staring right into my face, her disbelieving expression clear despite my blurring vision. She panted heavily, the warmth of her inner fire seeping into me. "I-I'm s-so-orry..."

"No! N-No, not ag-gain... n-no, plea-ase, no!" The fire type Pokemon cried out, her hind legs trembling more and more, and she leaned against me more and more in response, doing her best not to topple over. She continued to speak, letting out a series of sorrowful, incoherent noises as the tears started to flow freely down her cheeks, her fur matted and her lips quivering, and I sucked in a breath when she choked back a sob.

My heart was plunging deeper and deeper into the pit of my stomach with every passing second, and my nerves returned just long enough for me to start crying alongside my partner. I didn't, couldn't, didn't want to see Rose like this, I couldn't bear to make her mourn like this again! I didn't want to die and never see her again...! "Bill, please, d-d-don't leave me!"

My chest went numb. My neck. My head. I tried desperately to reach out towards Rose, focusing hard and drawing on all my strength, but my arms were like lead. I couldn't... do it...

Motes of light were floating all around us, around me, and Rose reared back when her paws passed partway through my shoulders. The Vulpix teetered precariously, going back and forth, her tails curling and uncurling from her sheer nervous panic, and then she lurched forward, sniffling and sobbing as she fell towards me. I ducked my head as the whole world went white, a regretful sigh escaping my throat as I braced myself for an impact that would never come. I couldn't feel a thing anymore, not even my own numbness, as the light, and Rose, went dark.

WHAM!

I gasped in shock, my senses returning all at once from the painful blow that Rose dealt me, and my entire body went rigid at the wave of pain that coursed through my veins. My tail wagged once, thwapping against the ground, and I forced myself to open my eyes, fidgeting on top of the bed of straw and dry grass, heart pounding all the while. I took gulp after gulp of air, the scent of the sea gently wafting past my nostrils, carried along by a coastal breeze that washed over me, drying the ruffled patches of tear-stained fur that ran down my cheeks and neck.

"Wha...?" I mumbled groggily, blinking a couple times at the change of scenery, and I twisted around, aura tassels bunching up as I peered back at the pointed, toothy rocks of Sharpedo Bluff, the sky and sea beyond it tinted a faint, brightening blue. Craning my neck, I scanned over the rest of the room, sleepily watching the patches of flowers growing across from the bed; they, along with the ferns and fronds near the tunnel leading outside, danced in the wind. It took a little while for everything to register, my mind still thrown for a loop by the strange... the strange... "A dream... it was just a dream."

I exhaled, all the tension draining from my muscles at the realization, and I let my head drop back to the ground, the soft grasses cushioning my fall. My muzzle twitched, and a smile wriggled its way onto my face at the slight ache that lingered in my nose. I brought an arm up, pressing my pawspike against my nose – the metal was cool to the touch, helping to soothe the pain somewhat. I sniffed in surprise when something damp tickled my cheek, and I wiped at my face, staring at the droplet that clung to my paw.

"B-Bill, no... p-please, don't go-" The teardrop dribbled over my palm and plummeted onto the bed of straw when its other occupant shuddered, a frightened, despairing tone overtaking the voice's usual warmth. My ears flicked at the sound, and I grit my teeth, turning my attention to my shivering partner. The fire-type Pokemon's face was scrunched up, her headfur tangled and matted, and she lamely wiggled her legs around, as if she was trying to chase after someone – after me, I realized – in her sleep. Her orange-tipped tails were curled tightly against her back, and the early morning light shined softly on her cream-colored coat, which was just as frazzled as her headfur. "P-ple-ease, B-Bill, d-don't leave me-e ag-ga-ain..."

The Ninetales was still crying too, streaks of tears moving from the corner of her eyes all the way down her chin and neck, getting soaked up by Rose's blue scarf. Hesitantly, I reached out to try and pinch the fabric between my pawpads, but flinched, pulling away, when the fire type Pokemon sobbed and hiccuped, burying her nose into the cloth, pushing it into her scruff of neckfur.

I swallowed dryly, smacking my lips as quietly as I could, taking a deep, shaky breath in... and out... feeling more of my own tears forming, tickling the sides of my face as I tried to think of what to do. It had been a while since we'd had the same dream. Or rather, the same nightmare. I must have picked up on Rose's discomfort while I was sleeping, or maybe it was the other way around... when the fox sniffled a second time, I pushed the thoughts away with a shake of my head, a couple of my aura tassels slipping over my shoulder. It wasn't the time to be wasting time.

"Rose... R-Rose!" I said shortly, snaking both of my arms around the Ninetales and grabbing her sides, squeezing tightly. She didn't even react, and I spoke just a little bit louder, giving her a quick, forceful shake, the dry grass underneath us rustling from the motion. "Rose, please, wake up! Wake up!"

Rose gasped sharply, her ruby red eyes shooting open and widening to the size of saucers, and the cream-furred fox froze in place, staring at me with a look of disoriented shock plastered on her muzzle. Her jaw slackened, and even her tails went limp, unfurling until all nine were spread out onto the floor of the bluff. I gazed right back at my partner, my heart pounding worriedly, and I took Rose's front paws into my own, gingerly rubbing her tiny pawpads.

"B... B-B-Bill...?" The fox spoke in a breathless, stuttered whisper. "But w-what?"

"I'm right here." I wrapped her up in a tight embrace, the warm, silky fur on her belly brushing the fur on my torso, grazing the edges of my blunted chestspike. I stroked her back with one paw and affectionately tousled her headfur with my other paw, resting her head in the crook of my neck and hoping none of my tears would dribble onto her. "I-I'm right here, Rose, I promise. It happened to m-me too. It was j-just a nightmare."

She was silent for a moment longer. I nuzzled her forehead, peering lower and giving the fire type Pokemon a quick peck on the bridge of her nose afterward, and her nine fluffy tails twitched, gently sweeping the ground in a waving motion before rising into the air. They caught the wind blowing in from the ocean, and we both heard the tides far below the bluff, frothy water crashing into shore before sloshing back to sea. It melded sweetly with the bubbling spring just a few paces away from our bed. Finally, Rose relaxed in my arms, letting go of the breath that she'd been holding all this time.

"J-just a-" The Ninetales started, only to pause in the middle of her words, and I felt her shiver again. She seemed to notice her trembling as well, as her inner fire instinctively flared, a burst of heat warming her up and sinking into me as well. I stifled a sniffle, blinking through my crying, and pressed my lips onto the back of my partner's ear, doing everything that I could to comfort her. She sniffled herself, then sobbed quietly, raising her head to nose at my chin. "B-B-Bill... o-o-oh-hh, Bi-i-ill..."

Her tears rolled down her face and dripped onto me, and I let my own tears trickle down my cheeks; the two of us simply lay there on the bed of grasses and straw, curled up together in a sad, sobbing heap. Rose continued to stoke her inner fire even while she cried, and she wagged her tails up and over, letting them settle atop us like a cozy, toasty blanket. I hugged the cream-furred fox, holding her close, taking comfort in the joy of being alive with her. The pleasant emotion flooded through me, banishing all my previous shock, sorrow and worry back to whatever part of my mind they had come from.

I patted Rose's head, taking a few ragged wheezes as I tried to calm my nerves, and I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it just as quickly when I realized that I couldn't think of anything to say. The sound of the waves reaching the beach drifted into my ears again, bringing the smell of sea salt along with it, and I stared at the wall of Sharpedo Bluff, light streaming through the shark's 'teeth' as the sunrise continued. Rose fidgeted, and I hunched forward with a grimace when she sweetly nuzzled – or, more accurately, shoved her face into – my neck, accidentally winding me in the process.

My partner murmured inaudibly, pawing at my blunted chestspike, her tiny claws combing through my fur, and I tilted my head to look down at the fire type Pokemon, who was still shaking ever-so-slightly, though she wasn't crying quite so hard anymore. She sniffed, then ducked away to wipe her nose on her scarf; I could tell she was trying to hide the blush forming under her fur, and my heart warmed at the sight. I dragged my paw over to her head, cupping her cheek in my palm, and I scooted downwards a tad until our eyes met, her face still matted and damp from crying.

She was beautiful.

I gazed lovingly at the Ninetales for a second or two, and in that time, she beat me to my own plan, leaning in close and softly bumping her nose into my own. I blinked in surprise, then inwardly sighed in relief, a small smile wriggling its way onto my muzzle when I became aware of how much of a mess I must have looked.

With a nod, I tightened my arms around my partner again and nuzzled her over and over, going from her cheek to her forehead, then tousling her headfur with a few pokes of my nose, a few strands falling down in front of her eyes in the process. I felt her nine tails curl over me, their tips sliding up and down the small of my back, and my smile turned into a cheeky grin as I fidgeted in Rose's ticklish grasp, my aura tassels bouncing and rubbing on my shoulders. She barked out a noise that sounded like a cross between a laugh and a hiccup, and I pulled her in, feeling her heart beating rhythmically in her chest.

I opened my mouth again, ready to speak, only to find that I still had nothing to say, and instead I just caught my breath, both Rose and I settling back into our bed, content enough to snuggle, occasionally licking or nosing each other. When I had taken a few gulps of air, I closed my jaw and hummed in time with the ocean waves, going higher or lower depending on whatever first came to mind, playfully tapping my footpaws against Rose's hindpaws.

The Ninetales slowed down in her affections as I sang, and not long after she relaxed, I heard a purr rumbling in my partner's throat, trying to match my own 'mmm's and 'hmm's. Seconds passed, then minutes. Rose still hiccupped every so often, and I found myself sniffling a note or two sometimes instead. The sky behind us was getting brighter, sparkles of sunlight glinting on the water that streamed into the bluff's little spring.

The cream-furred fox was the one to finally break the silence, after Arceus-knew how much of the morning had passed. She tapped a paw on my blunted chestspike, and my tail wagged, ruffling a couple of her tails. "Hey... did you say you had that nightmare too?"

My face fell, and I exhaled tiredly, a weariness settling over my senses. We must have woken up right at the crack of dawn. My tail almost immediately stopped wagging, thudding onto the dried grass and staying there. "Yeah... yeah, I did. I think you were shaking pretty hard, since you whacked my muzzle and woke me up."

"I did?" Rose perked up in surprise, her ears pointing straight, then flattening against her head in embarrassment, her expression turning bashful. Her ruby red eyes sparkled, filling with love and concern, and she leaned in and kissed me, her lips damp, sweet, and gentle. She spoke up once she pulled away. "I'm sorry about that. Does it still hurt?"

"Huh?" I furrowed my brow, then smiled and shook my head, reaching back to keep my aura tassels from swinging over my shoulder. They bumped and jostled against my pawspike instead, softly thumping it and dropping back to my neck. "Nah, of course not. Don't be sorry, I'm glad you woke me up. I wouldn't have been able to wake you up if you hadn't, heheheh."

Rose cocked her head thoughtfully, a warm, happy smile gracing her features, and my heart skipped a beat. "Yeah... I hadn't thought of that. Thank you for getting me out of that nightmare, Bill."

"Thank you for getting me out of it too, Rose." I snuggled into the fire type Pokemon, feeling her tails rise off of us and wave back and forth, their shadows helping keep the growing sunlight out of our eyes. I craned my neck to look around Sharpedo Bluff, morning having all but arrived fully, the lush green vines and leaves, warm orange-brown stone walls, and my partner's creamy fur all shined comfortingly. "It's about time to get up... shall we?"

"No," Rose replied without hesitation, using a single tail to push my head back down to the bed. "I want to stay here. With you."

I couldn't argue with that. I smiled, batting at her tailtips with a paw before nuzzling the fox's cheek, her inner fire flaring as we embraced again, the pile of straw rustling underneath us.


End file.
